In Peru, parrillas, grills, are topped with a flat sheet of metal with dozens of small, cut-out holes. The semisolid surface helps the grill heat up quickly and stay very hot, like an iron skillet, but the holes let in smoke and all of that good flavor.
At my restaurants, I use grills with grates like you find here, but the grate is very close to the heat source, more like a hibachi grill. You can use any type of grill to cook the recipes in this chapter, but make sure it is very hot so whatever you are cooking gets a nice char very quickly. Direct-heat grilling is typically better for most Peruvian dishes.
It is so important to allow time for the grill to heat to the right temperature. A dark sear on the surface of whatever you are grilling is what gives you good flavor. To test the temperature, hold your hand 10 to 12 inches away from the grate and slowly count to six. The grill should be hot enough that you need to move your hand away from the grate. If you are cooking in a pan, allow extra time for it to heat up.
I like to put most beef, lamb, and other meats on a grill “dry,” meaning neither the food nor the grill have been brushed with oil. Dry proteins in particular get a nice, dark char and absorb sauces and basting glazes better after cooking has begun. Blot any meats that you are dry cooking very lightly with paper towels before putting them on the grill. The dry grilling and “pull-up” technique I like to use works really well even for home grilling, but if you have trouble with the food sticking, moisten a towel with a neutral oil like canola and rub it lightly over the hot grill grate.
Immediately after putting small, delicate fish fillets or thinly sliced meats and poultry on the grill, use tongs to gently but quickly lift them up several times in a row to keep them from sticking. After a few lifts, the outside of the protein should be partially cooked and firm enough that it won’t stick to the grill or fall apart. (In order to do this, you need to add foods to the grate one at a time.) The opposite is true when you are grilling larger pieces of meat, poultry, or fish. You want to get a good, long sear on the bottom side of a burger or steak before that first flip.
My basting sauces tend to have a little sugar or other sweetener in them, which help get a nice, golden brown char but can also burn, so wait until the last few minutes of the grilling time to baste. Or cook smaller, bite-size portions so the food cooks very quickly and doesn’t need to stay on the grill very long, like with my Paiche Lettuce Wraps (page 120).